Manifolding



Nov. 18, 1941. c. w. BRENN 2,263,435

MANIFOLDING Filed June 4, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATOR , tice.

Patented Nov. 18, 1941 2,263,435 MANIFOLDING Carl W. Brenn,

Manama, N. graphic Register Company, Hoboken,

3., assignor to Auto- N. J., a

corporation of New Jersey Application June 4, 1938, Serial N0. 211,725

13 Claims.

This invention relates to manifolding, and, more particularly, toimproved collated sets of record and carbon sheets secured together formanifolding operations, the method of making said collated sets, and themeans for securing the sheets together.

Heretofore it has been proposed to collate continuous printed recordstrips with interleaved carbon strips, secure the strips together, andcut the strips into sheet lengths for use. The record strips usuallyhave along one margin a weakening line constituting a stub or bindingmargin within which the strips may be secured together, and along whichweakening line the record sheets may be torn when it is desired toremove the rec rd sheets from the carbon sheets after the writingoperation has been performed.

Various means for securing the collated carbon strips and record stripshavebeen proposed, including wire staples going through the pile ofstrips in the binding margins, and adhesives applied to the bindingmargin as the strips are being collated. and before they are cut intosheet lengths. It has been difficult, when applying adhesive to paperstrips to secure them together, tohave the adhesive applied in just theright quantity and at just the right degree of wetness, with the resultthat some of the sheets would adhere together satisfactorily whileothers would not. Yet, it is decidedly preferable, in many situations,to fasten the strips with an adhesive rather than with staples.

The present invention, in certain aspects, contemplates the securing ofthe strips together by a dry adhesive, which is caused to adhere to thestrips as a result of being heated rather than as a result of beingwetted, as is the common prac- This avoids the use of water or wetadhesives on or in the vicinity of the collating machine, and enablesthe collating, the registering, and finally the cutting of the stripsinto form lengths to be performed without the messiness attendant uponthe use of water and wetadhesive on or about a machine of this kind.

In the particular form of the invention herein disclosed, the adhesivefor securing the strips together is in the form of a separate narrowstrip provided with adhesive surfaces on opposite sides. Preferably, theadhesivestrip is of a kind in which the whole strip constitutes theadhesive, being made of a rubber composition.

In practicing the invention, the carbon and record strips are so formedas to have. in the pile stepped marginal edge portions in the bindingmargin thereof, and the adhesive strip is guided into position'tooverlap the stepped marginal edge portions so that it may be made toadhere to these exposed marginal edge portions when heat is applied tothe pile of strips.

When the adhesive strip has adhesive surfaces on opposite sides thereof,the record and transfer strips of the pile are so arranged that thereare exposed spaced marginal portions on the up- I per half of the pileof record and transfer strips and on the lower part of the pile, thuspermitting all of the record and transfer strips to have direct contactwith the adhesive strip or band and to be secured together by the latterwhen the heat is applied to the pile. According to the presentinvention, the record and transfer strips areprovided in the bindingmargin with registering and feeding holes which cooperate withregistering and feeding pins in the collating machine, so that therecord and carbon strips may be brought into registration and advancedintermittently to a position where each form length on the record stripmay be cut off by a severing knife to provide a pile of collated andsecured-together record strips. To insure the proper location of theadhesive band, the latter may also be provided with a series of feedingholes tobe received by and feeding pins on the collating machine, and tobe advanced thereby as the record and transfer strips are fed.

To simplify the starting istering and securing operations, the adhesiveband. may have the feeding holes at predetermined intervals either equalto the spacing between the feeding pins or an even fraction thereof.Accordingly, the present invention provides a roll, or other suitablesupply, of adhesive material in the form of a narrow band havingregistering and feeding holes predeterminately spaced along its length.

In the broader aspects of adhesive strip need not be made of rubbercomposition but may be of any suitable or desirable material. Forinstance, the strip may be a piece of paper, rubber, or other fabric, toone or both surfaces of which adhesive is applied, and the adhesive,while it is preferably of a heat-set water impervious kind, may be watersoluble, or may be an adhesive simply made effective by being pressedagainst a paper. The important consideration, in the broader aspects ofthe invention, is the location of an adhesive strip over the staggeredmarginal edges of the record and transfer strips, so that all the stripscan be bound together by the adhesive strip.

the registering.

of the collating, reg-- this invention, the 1 While the binding marginalportions of the record and transfer strips are offset to provide theoverlying margins for contact with the adhesive strip, the other edgesof the record and transfer strips may be aligned, or, as is preferable,the opposite edges of the transfer strips may be somewhat ofisetinwardly to provide finger-grips on the records whereby the records maybe stripped from the carbon sheets after the writing operations havebeen performed on the collated record sheets.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a perspective view, showing apile of collated manifolding sets made according to the presentinvention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a single manifolding set made according to thepresent invention, with succeeding sheets in the pile torn away to showthe underlying sheets and with the adhesive strip turned back to showits relation to the other strips.

Fig. 3 is a schematic sectional view of a fragment of the pile shown inFig. 2, showing the relationship of the several sheets to one anotherand to the binding strip.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing a modified arrangement.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view, showing the roll of binding materialemployed forming part of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view, showing the mannet in which the recordsand carbons are assembled, registered, and fed, with pressed intoadhering relation sheet lengths.

Fig. 7 is a side view, partly broken away, of the means for pressing thepile of strips together under the influence of heat.

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view, showing the way in which the carbons andrecords may be assembled with the binding strip.

The present invention, in its more specific aspects, concerns the makingof collated sets of record and transfer sheets held together as aunitary article during the writing on the record sheets. Such a pile isshown in Figs. 1 to 4, and in. these there are a plurality of recordsheets I!) and interleaved carbon sheets ll secured together at abinding from the main portion of the sheet by a line of weakness I 3.After the pile has been written upon, it is grasped at the bindingmargin l2 with the fingers of one hand while the opposite edge of thepile is grasped with the fingers of the other hand, so that, by drawingthe hands apart, the records are severed along the lines of weakness I3, which are only in the record sheets, leaving the carbon sheetsattached to the binding margin and leaving the record sheets graspedtogether by the fingers of one hand.

To permit this to be done with ease, the carbon sheets terminate shortof the margin of the record sheets opposite the binding margin I2,leaving projecting portions M on the records which may be graspedindependently of the interleaved carbons- As stated above, it is one ofthe objects of the the binding strip and cut off into present inventionto assemble and secure thesesheets together in registration without thenecessity of applying glue or other adhesive to the sheets themselves.Accordingly, the record and carbon sheets of the manifolding set of thepresmargin l2 which is separated 1 narrow strip l5 of adhesive materialwhich is so placed in or on the binding margins of the record and carbonsheets that it engages each one of the sheets independently of itsengagement with the other sheets.

This adhesive strip l5 may, if desired, contain on either or both sides,according to the manner in which it is app1ied, a water solubleadhesive, in which case it will be necessary to moisten the surface orsurfaces of the strip before placing it between therecord and carbonsheets. However, the adhesive strip l5 may contain a thermoplasticadhesive material, or the entire strip may be made up of such material,for instance, when the strip is made of India rubber. It is preferableto have the strip made of or contain a coating of thermoplasticmaterial, because, when this is done, it is merely necessary to applyheat to the binding margin l2 to make the adhesive effective to bind thestrips together, and the messiness attendant upon wetting a watersoluble adhesive is avoided.

In the form of the present invention shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the bindingstrip I5 is interposed in the middle of the pile, and, so that it mayenage all of the sheets, the edges of the sheets within the bindingmargin l2 being oifset inwardly. For instance, the top record sheet II!and the bottom record sheet Illa have their binding margin l2 of thesame width. The carbon sheet II and the carbon sheet Ila have a bindingmargin slightly narrower so as to be inwardly offset from the edge ofthe binding margin of the record sheets I 0 and Illa. The edge of therecord sheet |0b is offset inwardly with relation to the carbon sheet Ila, and the record sheet I00 and carbon sheet llb are offset inwardlywith relation to the carbon sheet H and the record sheet lb. The bindingstrip I5 is interposed between the record sheet I00 and the carbon sheetNb, and thus contacts each of the sheets so that, when the adhesivematerial of the strip 15 is made effective either by wetting andpressure or by heat and pressure, depending upon whether the adhesive iswater soluble or thermoplastic, all of the sheets will be united throughthe medium of the binding strip I5.

It should be understood, of course, that all the sheets may be of thesame width, and they may be offset laterally to produce the eifectdescribed Preferably, however, the sheets are of different ,widths ordifferent lengths, depending upon the way in which the pile is observedto produce the offset binding edges. Also, the lines of weakness l3 inthe record sheets I 0, Illa, lb and lOc are in registration depthwise ofthe pile, so that, when the written records are torn from the bindingmargin I 2, all of'the record sheets will be of the same dimensions.

In another form of this invention, diagrammatically illustrated in Fig.4, the binding strip l5a has adhesive on only one side, and the recentinvention are secured together by a separate ords and transfer sheetsare of decreasing width successively from one outside sheet to theother, thereby affording an opportunity for each sheet to engage thebinding strip l5a.

According to the present invention in its broader aspects, the sheets,after being printed, may be collated and secured together with thebindingstrip I5. However, it is preferable to, print the forms on longcontinuous strips and to provide the carbon sheets in long continuousstrips and to.collate them on a table, at which point they may beassembled with the binding strip I5 -which may also be a long continuousstrip. In

this way, the records and carbon strips may be registered with oneanother with great con venience, and, after being secured together, maybe advanced to a cut-off position where the long continuous strips arecut into sheet lengths.

, One form of apparatus suitable for this purpose is shown in Figs. 6, 7and 8; and a long continuous binding strip l which may be wound to forma roll I6, is shown in Fig. 5.

In its broader aspects, this invention may be tinuous strips, for themethod of assembling, feeding and securing together the strips hereindisclosed, as well as the long continuous binding strip, may beadvantageously used for secur-. ing together other strips than thoseemployed to make manifolding sets. Hence, while the method and apparatusemployed is herein described with particular-application to the makingof manifolding sets, this description should be understood asexplanatory and should not be taken in a limiting sense.

, When making manifolding forms, it is, of course, particularlyimportant to maintain the forms clean and free of gum or other adhesive,except in the binding margin, and hence, when making manifolding sets,there is a special advantage in using a thermoplastic binding strip l5.

As shown in Fig. 6, the record sheets ID are printed, one after anotheron long continuous strips l1, and these are interspersed with longcontinuous strips l8 of carbon or other transfer paper. The previouslyprinted strips i! may be supplied to the collating machine in zigzagfolded piles l9, and the continuous carbon strips It! may likewise besupplied to the collating machine in continuous zigzag folded piles 20,although it should be understood that the record and transfer strips Hand I8 may be supplied to the collating machine in roll form if desired.These zigzag folded piles (or the rolls if such are used) are placed inproper order on a suitable support, and the leading edges thereofare ledup over guide rollers 2i from whence'they are led on to a collatingtable 22 where they are caused to assume superimposed positions by meansof a transemployed to secure together any kind of long mm slidablymounted on the collating table 22 and reciprocated by a link 21.

The feeding and registering holes 24 are so provided in the severalrecord and carbon strips and in the binding strip 15 that, when theseapertures are brought into registration, the record and carbon stripsand the binding strip will be in desired superposed relation. It issufficient for all practical purposes that there be but two feeding andregistering holes 24 in each form making up the cotinuous record strips,for in this way longitudinal alignment of the strips is maintained.However, it is preferable that the binding strip I5 is provided with aseries of equally spaced feeding and registering holes 24, a multiple ofwhich equals the distance between the holes 24 in the record and carbonstrips. With this arrangement, it is not necessary to start the bindingstrip out in any certain way so long as two of the with the holes in therecord and carbon strips. This arrangement permits the binding strip tobe made up in advance for general use, regardless of the distancebetween forms on the continuous strips.

It should be understood, of course, that neither the binding strip northe record strips need be provided with the feed-arresting,form-registering apertures, pro 'ded other suitable means is employed tomaintain them in proper registraand to feed them formby-form. After thestrips l5, l1 and I8 are collated and registered on the pins 25, thecarriage 26 is advanced, and when it reaches its advanced position, apressing device 28 is brought down upon the binding margins ll of thestrips. This pressing device is electrically heated, being connected toa source of current by wires 29, and, when it is brought down upon thebinding margin of the form beneath it, the heat and pressure cause theadhesive on 'or constituting the strip IE to secure the strips of thepile together. The

' heating and pressing device 28 may have aperverse roller 23. Betweenthe second record strip and the second carbon strip of the pile, thereis interposed the roll I6 containing the adhesive strip l5, and thisisguided over a guide roller 2| and brought into superposed positions ofthe binding margins R2 of the strips.

The record and carbon strips i1 and I8 are so processed as to have thedesired width so that when they are brought into overlapping relation onthe collating table, a part of the binding margin I2 of each strip willengage the binding strip l5. Yet, all of the record strips are so madethat the lines of weakness l3.therein will be in registry depthwise-ofthe pile.

With the record and carbon strips and the binding strip so assembled onthe collating table 22, they are brought into registration with eachother so that the printed matter on the several record strips willregister with each other depthwise of the pile, and the carbon stripsand binding strip will be' in their respective intended positions. Thismay be done by hand, but preferably, it is accomplished by providing ineach of the record and transfer strips and in the binding strip I5,feeding and registering apertures 24 which are adapted to cooperate withfeeding-and registering pins 25, mounted on a carriage 26,

- requires but tures 30 to receive the pins 25, and in this way it ispossible to secure the strips together while they are yet held inregistration by the pins 25. If desired, the portion of the carriage 26which engages the pile of strips may also be electrically heated and isconnected to a source of current by wires 3|.

After the strips are secured together (and this a moment) the heatingand pressing device 28 is raised, the pins 25 retracted in th carriageby suitable means, and the carriage returns to the next adjacent set offorms, whereupon thepins protrude through the apertures 24 and thecarriage again advances feeding the next set of forms to heating andpressing position. When the next set of forms reaches this position, theheating and pressing device 28 again descends on the forms, and at thesame time the set of forms previously secured together is cut off as bya cut-off knife 32. The collated and secured-together set of forms thenfalls upon the pile of previously collated and secured-together formswhere they are permitted to stack until a sufficient quantity isaccumulated for removal. To facilitate the adhesion of the binding strip5 to the edges of the carbon strips IS, the binding margins of thecarbon strips may be left uncoated with transfer material, such as shownin Figs. 2 and 6.

The collated set of manifolding material of the present invention may bewritten on by hand, or the set may be introduced into a typewriter.

holes are initially registered bindingmargin first, to receive typingoperations. The particular arrangement of the edges of the record andcarbon sheets in the binding margin, where there is a gradualoverlapping of the edge portions, results in facilitating the insertionof the set in the typewriter, for the extreme edge of the pile isthinner than the portion behind it and so that the binding margin iswedge-shape and easily enters between the platen and the feed rollers ofthe typewriter.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of thisinvention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

1. A manifolding set comprising a plurality of record sheets, a.plurality of transfer sheets superposed to form a pile, said sheetshaving at one lateral edge a binding margin and the sheets from theouter toward the inner sheets of the pile having a binding margin edgeoii'set inwardly depthwise of the pile of the adjacent outer sheet, anda binding strip located in the binding margin and intermediate the outersheets and adhesively engaging the projecting binding margin edges ofsaid sheets to hold them together.

2. A manifolding set comprising a plurality of interleaved record andtransfer sheets superposed to form a pile, said sheets having at onelateral edge a binding margin and the sheets from the outer toward theinner sheets of the pile having a binding margin edge oiTset inwardlydepthwise of the pile of the adjacent outer sheet, and a binding stripextending for the full width of the binding margin and adhesivelyengaging the projecting binding margin edges of said sheets to hold themtogether, each record sheet having a line of weakness defining the inneredge of the binding margin thereon and the sheets being held in the pileby said binding strip so that said lines of weakness are in registrydepthwise of the pile.

3. A manifolding set comprising a plurality of record sheets, aplurality of carbon sheets, each of said sheets having registeringapertures in the binding zone and having marginal portions thereofexposed when the sheets are in-registering relation, and a narrowbinding strip having a sheet-engaging surface provided with registeringapertures therein and associated with said record and transfer sheets inregistry therewith and adhesively engaging the marginal portion of eachsheet in the pile to secure the sheets of the pile together.

4. A binder of the type to be located in the binding margin of asuperposed pile of paper strips having registering apertures therein forsecuring the stripsjogether, comprising a band of material provided withan adhesive on both sides thereof to form a strip-engaging surface andhaving extending throughoutits length an within the lateral margins ofthe strip-engaging surface spaced feeding and registering aperturesadapted to be registered with the apertures of the paper strips wherebythe binder can be fed into proper collated position with respect to saidstrips.

5. The invention defined in claim 3, wherein the band of materialcomprises a thermoplastic adhesive.

6. The invention defined in claim 3, wherein the band of materialcomprises a band of India rubber.

7. The invention as defined in claim 1, wherein the binding stripcomprises a band of thermoplastic adhesive.

8. A manifolding set comprising a plurality of interleaved record andcarbon sheets, each sheet having an edge portion thereof oifset withrespect to the corresponding edge portion of the adjacent sheets; and anarrow binding strip having adhesive on both sides thereof, said bindingstrip being disposed within the set and extending for the full width ofsaid zone, said strip engaging the oifset edge portion of each sheet inthe pile to secure the sheets of the pile together.

9. A manifolding set comprising a plurality of interleaved record andcarbon sheets, each sheet having an edge portion thereof onset withrespect to the corresponding edge portion of the adjacent sheets, saidsheets having registering apertures in the zone in which the sheets areto be secured together; and a narrow binding strip having a plurality ofapertures, at least a part of which are adapted to register with theapertures in the sheets, said strip having adhesive on both sidesthereof and engaging the offset edge portion of each sheet in the pileto secure the sheets of the pile together.

10. A manifolding set comprising a plurality of record sheets, aplurality of carbon sheets, each 'of said, sheets having registeringapertures in a binding zone formed along one lateral edge thereof, eachsheet being of a width narrower than its superposed sheet so that eachsuperposed sheet overlaps its underlying sheet to present at an edge ofsaid pile a series of overlapping sheet edges; and a narrow band ofmaterial provided with an adhesive surface coextensive with theoverlapping sheet edges and engaging said overlapping sheet edgesforsecuring thesheets of the pile together, said band having extendingthroughout its length a plurality of spaced aper-' tures located in thesheet edge engaging surface. at least a part of which apertures registerwith the apertures in said. sheets so that said band may be collated inproper relation with said sheet edges CARL W. BRENN.

